HUSH, LITTLE BABY

The traditional folk lullaby is given an Appalachian setting in which the pictures tell their own story. All is peaceful and quiet as baby is bedded down, until an older sibling comes along and purposefully catapults the chain of events by abruptly rocking the cradle. The baby awakens, howling, and won’t stop crying. The young girl prompts her father to join her in finding the old peddler with the cart, from whom they buy a mockingbird that won’t sing, a looking glass that breaks, a billy goat that won’t pull, etc., all in an effort to distract and calm the baby. Most of the action takes place in front of an old-fashioned hearth, inside a candlelit log cabin, which sets the story in a bygone era. Expressive faces offer plenty of detail, while the dusky tones match the intended nighttime hush. Colors brighten as dawn appears and a tuckered-out family collapses in a heap after a stunning fall that finally quiets the baby. A funny, earthy interpretation, with plenty of scenic details to pore over. (Picture book/folklore. 3-6)